


Underdark (an Undertale AU)

by DeathwithUndertale



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Gen, My First Work, Underdark, undertale - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-05
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-07-12 10:52:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 22
Words: 17,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7099894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeathwithUndertale/pseuds/DeathwithUndertale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The world's going up in flames.</p><p>This is my own unique AU for Undertale. It takes place over multiple timelines, and has a few different POVs. Everyone has their own special weapon, and has been stripped of most of their powers. The art and all is on my tumblr as well, also DeathwithUndertale.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1-Snowdin

Papyrus POV:

I went outside. Snow was falling, as were my tears. Sans had called me stupid. I knew he didn't mean it, I knew he had been more irritable than usual these days, so I couldn’t blame him. But even though I had heard it a thousand times, it still burned me every time, even if he meant it personally or not. I bit on my lower jaw, to stop it from quivering with sobs. My shuddering shoulders gave it away however. My footprints were imprinted into the snow, destroying the smooth white canvas. Just like me. I was a failure, a mere disappointment. My brother could do magic and teleport and here I am, with nothing. Life was pretty much meaningless. Everyday, Sans would called me names and insult me. My tears had gotten fewer by the day. I had run out.

I walked towards the first puzzle I made. I knew it was lousy, but it was not like there would be any human passing by anyway. So I stood there, pretending to guard, all the while hot tears melting the snow at my feet. My gloves were already damp from wiping away tears.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps. My hand snaps up to my face and brushes away the last of my sobs. I could not let anyone see me crying like this. I could not show anymore weakness. My head looks up, only to be greeted with the sight of a foreign figure. Wearing a green and yellow sweater, it left a strange trail of dust on the ground. Strangely, even as it walked, no footsteps were left. It had a vague body shape like that of a skeleton, but it was not made of bones. Could this be what they call…a human? But…they had red eyes. Do all humans have red eyes? 

The human looked up and caught sight of me. Their wide smile vanished to be replaced by a cold stare. The blade in their hand glinted wickedly in the light. Its tip was sharp as a needle. And the look in their eyes…it was indescribable. 

Being the nice skeleton I was, I sniffed away my sobs before going up and greeting them. Little did I expect them to reciprocate by threatening me with their knife. I thought perhaps they were just playing, but they slashed me. Luckily I dodged in time. However, they did not relent and the sheer hatred in their eyes scared me. The knife danced in the air, slicing the chilly wind that buffeted my scarf around. It would fly up before settling down before flying again. It was very surreal. The blade flashed in the light, reflecting it’s glare upon me, just like the one given by the human. I tried to defend myself, but I was weak and had no magic. The best I could do was to dodge out of the way. My breaths were coming in short gasps. I could not keep this up for long. No one passed by, after it was a secluded area. 

Finally. Finally, the human had cut me. I felt my health draining away, my strength ebbing. Blood dripped onto the cold snow beneath my knees. Hacking and coughing, I looked up at the human. My vision was blurring. The world was spinning around me and I felt dizzy. Still, I knew the human couldn’t be all bad. There has to be some good in them. If they could only try… 

 

A/N: The chapters are pretty short until chapter 10 where it gets longer from there, so stay determined and press on with crappy chapters. (sorry)


	2. Part 2

Chara slashes knife. Red streaks towards Papyrus, who is slashed, and down to the last health point.

Chara: I need to get…to…the…BARRIER! Stop getting in my WAY!

Papyrus: I know you can do better. If you just try hard enough…listen…just spare people. You can be a better person…

Sans: no! papyrus don’t!

Papyrus is welcoming Chara with open arms. Chara’s eyes widen before smiling.

Sans: NO! PAPYRUS IT’S A TRAP! THIS IS NOT FRISK! please…(quiet desperation)…trust me, just this once. i know i’ve been mean to you but please…just once!

 

Papyrus turned his head to look at Sans, desperately running through the blizzard. He was close, but not close enough.

Papyrus: Sans…

Sans has taken a running leap. He jumps in front of Papyrus.

999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

*zzzzzinggggg*

Papyrus: Sans…SANS! 

Sans has blocked the blade with his own body. Papyrus cradles Sans.

Sans: i’m…going…to………papyrus…do you want anything? *coughs blood before head falls limp*

Papyrus: Sans! You’re scaring me! Is this another of your ketchup packets? *feels for a pack of ketchup* Sans? SANS! SANS. sans?   
*eye is glowing orange now*

explanation: papyrus’s power are triggered by his brother’s death 

Chara: This is perfect. Now no one good is stopping me. Why, I could kill you right now in one strike. But that wouldn’t be very fun would it. I want to see you LIVE. To live in the agony of knowing your brother died because you were too trusting. Because you were too WEAK! I want to see you SUFFER! *holds down knife*

Chara is sparing you. She walks away.

Papyrus is too distracted to care.

Papyrus: sans…

Sans turns to dust and blows off in the wind, leaving only a limp jacket in Papyrus’s’ arms. Tears fall, staining the jacket deeper blue. The knife cut has sliced off the edge of the jacket, but it is only a tiny slice. Yet what that is missing is larger than life, leaving a void in the hearts of many. That who has suffered the loss will be shunned, and years would be spent in pain. Rest in peace Sans.

Papyrus kneels there, for a long time. Nobody passes by. All is silence as it should be. The sobs were muffled by the jacket, now very damp. Sans was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short short lame chapters, but you can skip to chapter 10, but you will miss out on important details. :( sorry.


	3. Part 3

The blue jacket  
It is now merely a wall decoration, hanging in my room  
Never to be worn  
Collecting dust  
I brush it everyday  
Yet, I can’t bear to wear it  
I am afraid the only memory of you will fade

My brother  
Where have you gone?  
Why did you leave me here  
All alone, in this wicked world

People are saying things  
And it hurts me  
They say I should have died instead  
They say that you were stupid to take the knife  
That say that I was not worth the price

I agree  
The life I am living now feels like hell  
Why did you block that knife?  
Did you ever love me at all?  
You used to annoy me and scold me  
But now that you are gone   
I miss it all  
The puns, the constant hot dogs, even you leaving your clothes everywhere  
But nothing can turn back the clock now  
Can it?

Brother, I miss you  
I miss hearing your voice  
I miss seeing you smile  
But now, was is there left to live for?  
Why didn’t you let me get hit?

I feel like dying  
But your sacrifice would have been in vain  
So I continue, staying alive  
Forcing myself to eat  
Forcing myself to drink  
Forcing myself to wake up and face the day

If you’re watching now  
High above, in a happier place  
Know that  
The one thing I never said  
is true  
and that

I love you.


	4. Part 4

Where have you gone now?  
I miss you so much brother  
My heart is broken

Life, endless torture  
I don’t want to continue  
But I will have to

I will avenge you   
I will show you I’m useful  
Perhaps, you’d love me?

I will train and fight  
Can’t give up, not till the end  
I will kill her

Take care, my brother  
Till I meet you in reunion  
I’ll join you one day

I will learn to fight  
Learn how to get in her way  
Stop her from leaving

She must pay the price  
For the sins she committed   
I will make her pay 

I train everyday  
Practice my newfound magic  
Life is a battle

My magic is strong  
At least stronger than before  
I’ll keep my promise 

Alphys's camera   
Reaches far, tracking Chara  
I'm hunting her down

For the final fight  
I'll avenge the deaths of all  
No more blood will spill

A/N: This was down in haiku format. Actually, you know what, this shouldn't even count as a chapter.


	5. Part 5

The gold of the room, it is soft. Light streams through the window, golden rays light and free. Who would have thought the room in which I was standing had such deadly implications. Bones, glowing orange, whizzed through the air, spearing the nearby wall before fading. I was never supposed to be here. My brother had been stationed here, in order to prevent humans from getting away. But now, the mere thought of his blue jacket made me hurt inside. But I could not show weakness, not at a time like this. The electric whip was in my pocket. It was a weapon that I now practiced often, as well as my mace. I mean, if I wanted to kill Chara with that whip I’d do it in style no? I was getting pretty good after months of practice. Ever since I had be able to teleport, it had become one of the most useful skills ever. I would get faster and faster each day, teleporting every where. It was a shady business, if I lost control in the Void, I would be gone forever. But I took the risk, and kept practicing. Once or twice, I had nearly let myself get absorbed by the Void. But I thought of the need to avenge my brother’s death and pulled myself out. It was sort of a psychological thing, you know? But teleporting was worth the risk. It has doubled my speed and evasion. I could dodge hits much better. My attack was getting better. I could rip dummies with a single flick off my whip.

I still remember that day. I had been returning home after my training and that’s when I saw the dust. The white dust leading in and out of that shop. I stormed in and saw the shopkeeper. It was that crocodile and cat duo. I was furious when I found out that they had sold their goods to the human. Who would dare to help that human, would pay. I uncoiled my whip and cracked it menacingly on the ground. The crocodile begged for forgiveness, but there would be no mercy, not where the human was concerned. I struck them, again and again, until they were cowering on the ground. It felt…good. To make others feel the pain I felt every single day. At last, I grew weary, and stopped. They were covered in bruises and cuts and blood was everywhere. I stalked back out and returned home, the hate and pain driven away. For now.

The whip slithered to the floor, coiled, like a viper ready to strike. And I was the one commanding it. I flicked the whip upwards and electricity surged and circled the whip, running up and down. I brought it down with a ear-splitting crack. The sharpness of the sound contrasted with the soft tones of the room. Flicking my wrist, I made the whip dance, a lethal flurry of strikes. Cracks resounded, and the floor put up its best resistance. Luckily, it had the added protection of Alphys’s new protective coating. Finally, the room fell silent, except for my breaths. I strode over to the tiny screen I hid behind a panel i the wall. Chara was fast approaching, and it was time. Time for the final battle. The one I would not lose. After all this time, I had lost my respect, my dignity, and my pride. But the one thing I lost most of all, the one thing that could never be replaced…my brother.


	6. Part 6

Stronger than You lyrics

 

White snowflakes drift slowly to the ground 

Silently I weep tears fall but with not a single sound

Blood on my hands, once clean

You'll never know what I truly mean

You can't understand, so don't even try

I wasn't even ready, to say goodbye

The blue jacket, in my skeletal hand

Stained with dust but not from the land

So go ahead and try to hurt me if you're able

My soul is shattered but somehow still not stable

My tears fall to the ground like a waterfall

I will miss his bright smile forever more

This isn't what I wanted, not what I asked for

All this fighting won't change a single thing

Nothing you do can ever hurt me anymore

In my life there is nothing left to live for

Right now he's gone

Gone

Gone

I know who you are

I remember what you did

You killed my brother in cold blood

Now I want this to reset

But yet somehow I gave you

A chance to go on to the end

But now I need to stop you

Before more blood stains your hand

So go ahead and try to hurt me if you're able

My heart is broken into pieces but I'm capable

I need to kill you before the timeline's over

I will never give up, not ever

My brother is dead and I can't see him

The prospect of life without him is grim

I can't stop crying

My world is dying

I don't know how to make it right

Right now he's gone

Gone

Gone

But I think I'm stronger than you

Gone

Gone

But I think I'm stronger than you

Gone

Gone

Gone...

 

A/N: I know all the chapters are in weird formats, but trust me, it will slow to a narrative soon.


	7. Part 7

Papyrus’s POV:  
Chara dodges my whip.  
I grit my teeth in determination.  
The whip dances in the air, cutting apart the slight breeze produced by the swings of Chara’s knife.  
It was a marvel how the fragile whip, so flexible and soft, could transform into a deadly weapon in an instant, cracking and striking the opponent with quick slashes. The aftershock of the cut was painful, as it was an electric whip after all. The sting, the temporary paralysis, it was shocking. (sans: heh. puns. proud of you bro.)

Chara’s knife slashes at my chest, but I back off and swing my weapon in a wide arc. The blade comes into contact with the electricity and the blue plasma races down the handle to its owner. Chara froze, electricity coursing through their body. For a moment, I thought their eyes had flickered brown instead of red but it was just a figment of my imagination. The health bar appeared above their body. It was one last hit. Sigh, how many times had I done this. It felt so…good to get revenge. I brought down my whip with a sickening crack and their should split into pieces for the 11th time. And that’s when the world started fading.

Sans’s POV:  
I watch, silent, invisible. The maniacal look in Papyrus’s eyes, it scared me. How determined was he to stop Chara? How much more could he take before his mind breaks? I, knew, deep down, the old Papyrus was still there. The one who wouldn’t hurt a fly. Just hidden behind the weapons and my jacket. My death had left a scar no amount of time could heal, I could see that much in his eyes. The pain…was real. For both of us. The act of anger and violence, it was just an act. Now, he was killing people. How much could he really take before breaking? Before going mad?

But after the 11th time of killing Chara, my conviction is wavering. Is he really still there? This…creature before me, is it really my brother? That look of satisfaction of bringing the whip down, it was scary. He wouldn’t enjoy killing anyone, would he? (cries) papyrus…what has happened to my sweet innocent little bro? (sobs more as the world fades)

 

A/N: More short chapters.


	8. Part 8

Papyrus’s POV:  
I saw the glint of scarlet from far away. The kid was back. Out to kill me, once again. I sighed. Was there anymore good in this world? Everyone just seemed so…dark. Well, it was time to fight again. I was so tired, so weary. Every time I kill the kid, they would just come back newer. But I can’t die just yet.

The knife slashes again, as my whip uncoiled and lashed out. They dodged it with ease. I whipped it in the opposite way and they jumped over it. I flicked it up and they leaped again. It was so hard to hit them. One hit would suffice, it would paralyse them and render them immobile for a few seconds. I swung it at their face. My aim was true. The barbed tip cut into flesh and drew blood. Electricity ran down the coil and surrounded Chara. Their eyes flickered from red to brown and back again. The rosy pink cheeks kept disappearing. Was this good or bad? I raised my arm and brought the whip down for the final blow. Blood splash everywhere as if I had struck a puddle. I swallowed. Every time I killed Chara, the less conviction, the less will I needed to bring my hand down. It became easier and easier. Like falling asleep. I shrugged. No matter, the world was already fading.It doesn't even matter if I take a life, the world would just reset and the person would come back, no memories of their death. It was so easy to right a wrong.

 

Sans’s POV:  
I was afraid. The more Papyrus killed, the easier it was for him. I understood the feeling completely. I had killed, so much, in past timelines and alternate universes. The blood on my hands seemed like it would never wash away. The nightmares, they were unbearable. But I was the big brother. I had to protect my little papy. It was not a choice. But I left. I left papyrus all alone. alone, to defend himself in this cruel world, from all the evil. he has grown, too fast in too little time. The indifference was frightening. The way him brought down the whip, the way he smiled. (cries) frisk, please, if you’re in there, have a change of heart. fight. papyrus’s innocence is gone, isn’t that enough for you? of all the people in the world, why him? why…

 

Chara’s POV: 

I didn’t expect him to be so…powerful. I thought there would be no one here. I thought I had killed everyone. I thought I could get rid of him later. Who knew he’d be as powerful as sans? I had fought sans in past timelines. He had been tough, but not tough enough. But this, this was completely new and surprising. I had met papyrus many time, in many universes. never had he been so…vicious. I had even thought that he was stupid, that he would not see that in this world, it’s killed or be killed. But it seems like he learnt. Here, I had been thrown down many times by sans, but not papyrus. he was usually dead by now. Seems like there’s a first for everything.

A/N: EVEN MORE SHORT CHAPTERS!


	9. Part 9

Their eyes flickered with life, alternating between empty and not. The knife in their right hand, it was more hesitant. Or maybe it was my exhausted mind, drained and tired, that was imagining such unlikely things. I was going to stay there, fighting, till one of us gave up. My whip, it was weary of drawing blood. The same repetitive motion, up down up down. It gets a little boring. The lifeless figure on the ground before, that was the only outcome that could be achieved. The world would fade, and the fight would begin once again.

There, my whip broke the barrier between Chara’s life and death again. The human in the green and yellow slumped to the ground. The blade slipped out their hand and lay still on the golden tiled floor. It suddenly felt so, closed. The room’s walls seemed to be closing in, and the stale air was heavy, even oppressive. The weight of the whip seemed to increase ten-fold in my hand. The enormity of what i had done sunk in. 

But the world was already fading.

SAVE SCREEN

Frisk: Chara get out!

Chara: Shut up you meddling idiot. (hand reaches for the load button)

Frisk: NO! (other free hand reaches for the reset button) \

Frisk and Chara have a struggle. Chara is detached from Frisk’s body. Their weapons drawn out. A stick against a knife. This was a one-sided fight for sure. Frisk wield the stick like a sword as Chara’s blade crashed down on it. Strangely, it didn’t break in half and remained firm against the sharp blade. Frisk swung it down and flicked it up, towards Chara’s face. Chara ducked swift and delivered a swift uppercut to Frisk’s jaw. They hissed in pain but retaliated with a blunt hit on Chara’s head. A bruise formed. Chara shoved Frisk and it soon turned into a shoving match. They stumbled in the dark, void like place, pushing and more pushing. Chara then realised the childishness of the battle and whipped out their knife. The blade glinted in the non-existent light menacingly. Then, it was driven into Frisk’s stomach. Frisk recoiled and crashed backwards…..into the reset button. Chara’s eyes widened and the enormity of what he had done sunk in as reality surged into the black room. The world faded white as it reseted. Chara’s primal scream echoed into alternate universes. 

Undertale’s eye glowed bright blue, and he summoned a few faster blasters to defend his bro against this new threat.

Underfell paused looking for his stuff. “ah f*** that. where’s my stuff?” He continued searching for the missing chocolate.

Reapertale drove his scythe into the dead corpse. “ Must be another murder” He went in the general direction of the scream.

Bubblegum bounced around, eating bubblegum.

Blueberry’s eyes grew wide in fear. “Papy…” Papyrus shielded him and covered his ears, orange flame igniting.

Scientist! ran out of his lab. “Is there a fire?” But nobody came.

Gaster! was leaning against a pole, eating a popsicle. The popsicle slid to the ground as the loud noise startled him.

Elsans paused mid-song. “Let it go, let —“ Annasans paused, unsure of whether to continue the show.

Underlust…do i want to say this?

The game is reset. 

 

A/N: FINALLY, THE NEXT CHAPTER IS A NARRATIVE!


	10. Part 10

Frisk POV:

The bed of flowers were soft, like a blanket. I snuggled deeper. I could still remember what happened in the last timeline vividly. I wanted to hide, to hide from it all. This pile was so comfy anyway. If I could choose to die, this would be a good place. The sunlight streaming from the wide chasm above filled the heap with warmth. The texture of the petals were so smooth, so clean. Sleep was overtaking my foggy brain, filled with gory memories of the last timeline. 

But a particular talking flower had to go and wake me up.

“Howdy, I’m Flowey the Flower! You’re new to the Underground aren’t you. Someone has to teach you how things work around here. I guess little old me will have to do.”

“F*** off Flowey. I know you remember me.”

Flowey’s expression changed and hardened. “Then I won’t play nice with you.” White bullets surrounding Flowey, directed at me. “Get as many as you can…” They flew at high speed through the stale air of the Underground. I dodged easily. I knew that Toriel would come and help soon. I had been through this so many times.

A pale figure loomed in the darkness behind Flowey. “Torturing such, poor, innocent youth…” At those words, I looked down at my shoes and shuffled guiltily. A flaming arrow whizzed and cast Flowey away. “Come my child, you must be so afraid. I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins. I come here everyday to see if any humans have fallen down. You’re the first one I have seen in a long time. Follow me.” Toriel smiled genuinely and beckoned. She was carried a decorated bow and a quiver of fire arrow. This scene, it was so familiar, but something was slightly…off. I scrutinised every inch of Toriel while walking. She didn’t suddenly grow hair. (Author: Yes, that is so ridiculous. ha. ha. ha.) Before long, I had found the source of my uneasiness. On the hem of her purple dress, broken hearts were neatly lined in a pattern, beautiful yet sad. I gasped quietly and wonder where she had gotten them. Surely she didn’t sew them on herself. Could I have…done this? My heartbeat pounded erratically. 

After going though a few puzzles, Toriel stopped walking.

“Here we are my child, this is where I live. I have a surprise for you.” My train of thought was rudely interrupted. A nice pleasant house awaited us. I stepped in behind Toriel. The home was brightly lit and a delightful smell filled the room. Toriel led me down a hallway and stopped abruptly in front of a room. The room that I had seen many many times. “This is your room now.” Toriel smiled and patted my head. The smile, it was laced with a heavy air of sadness. Like she knew what I had done in the past timeline. The atmosphere grew colder and I felt the chill penetrating my very core. For a moment, I heard a demonic laugh resound, bouncing off the walls. It was probably just a figment of my imagination. The air lightened and so did Toriel’s smile. “Oh! Is that something burning? Go in your room first, okay?” She pushed you gently towards the door. The flashback of what transpired in the Void flickered to life. Chara, pushing you…stabbing the knife into your stomach. I winced instinctively and my hand flew to my stomach. Toriel looked at me, concerned. Dark purple welled up in her eyes, moving from the bottom in a gradient. I stumbled back, frightened. It looked so much like the black of Chara’s. “My child?” Toriel returned to normal. I tripped over my words. “I…your…nothing…I’m fine…yeah…i’ll just go in now.” I swung open the door and plopped on the bed. It was so cosy. Once my head hit the pillow, I was fast asleep.


	11. Part 11

Toriel’s POV:

My hand was planted on my forehead. It was pounding. These headaches had started recently, just one day before the human, Frisk fell down into this hellhole. My bow rested on the arm of the armchair. Its decorated curvature was graceful and deadly. I ran a finger down the smooth cool surface of the bow.My quiver rested comfortably by my side, arrows on fire. Somehow the fire never extinguished. Not that I used it often in battle anyway, except in self defence. The occasional rogue Froggits wielded a penknife. Those did leave a nasty cut, as I had learnt the hard way my first time. In this world, it was hurt or be hurt. Asgore had stuck to this rule, and I left him. I believed that there was a different route, a way out of this monotony. Now, I was not so sure.

Frisk’s POV:

I woke up to find that the room had been darkened. A vague outline of a pie slice could be seen on the ground. I got out of bed and walked over to the pie. Ti came on a delicate porcelain plate, complete with knife and fork to eat it with. I picked up the cutely and immediately dropped it. The knife, it was so much like the one I…no Chara used to…I sank to the ground in tears as the memory of Toriel’s shocked look when the knife slashed her chest, dealing the fatal blow. But…I wasn’t going to kill anyone was I? Shakily, I picked up the knife again. I was afraid I would lose control and turn evil. Slowly, fingers trembling, I brought myself to saw at the pie and cut off a small piece. The effect was instantaneous. The rich buttery aroma flooded the room and somehow filled me with warmth. I poked the piece with a fork and placed it gingerly in my mouth. My tastebuds sat up and sang. The multitude of flavours filled my mouth, washing over me like a gentle wave. The savoury tang of the orange seemed to skip on my tongue and explode like a bunch of extremely yummy fireworks.The buttery taste was warm and reminded me of home. I found myself scooping more and more of the pie. Before long, the entire pie was in my stomach and the knife and fork clattered on the empty plate. I sighed in contentment before leaving the room.

The hallway was still brightly lit. I walked out into the living room, and seeing that Toriel was not there, I went into the dining room/kitchen. Toriel was sitting in an armchair, hand to head. I snuck around her and went into the kitchen. My throat was parched and I hoped to find something to drink. I saw the water flask quick enough, but the counter was devoid of any glasses. I figured they were in the drawer so I pulled open the nearest one. Knives. All glinting wickedly in the light. I froze and held my breath. Memories of what I had done with the knife…I couldn’t let my past bother me. After all, I reset to correct my sins, didn’t I? A small voice at the back of my whispered.

“oh really…”

Yes…I firmly shut the little echo and kept in a imaginary lock and key. I resolutely closed the drawer and opened the one next to it. There were plates. bowls and saucers. I shuffled the dishes around and found a mug and poured myself some water. Cup in hand, I left the kitchen to see Toriel. I needed to ask her something.

“Toriel…”

Toriel perked up with a start. “What is it, my child?” She gave a wide smile.

“How do I get home?”

Tories’s eyes widened and she hurriedly grabbed a book off the shelf. “Umm,” She flipped to a random page in the book. It was entitled: 1000 ways to use snails. “Did you know that snails are best cooked at high heat? And you shouldn’t remove the mucus in order to retain the flavour?” Her smile was still there, but it was strained and her left eye was twitching from time to time. I felt a wave of pity wash over me. Poor Toriel, having to see what she saw as her responsibility come and go and die, 6 times. To her, now, it was going to happen for the 7th time. Knowing it was her fault that she let them go. I could relate to her, I really could. I bowed my head but still pressed the question.

“How do I get home?”

Tories’s expression hardened. “Stay here, my child, I’ll be back in a moment.” She got up from the chair and brusquely brushed past me. I ran after her, know that that was what I was supposed to do, having done it countless times. I almost tripped and fell down the stairs, but caught my balance in time before chasing Toriel again. The purple door loomed in front of us, dark and ominous. “Stop following me! You will die out there! This is a one way exit out of the Ruins, and I am going to destroy it.” She took one look at the expression on my face and broke. The look of pure determination. “Fine. Prove to me. Prove to me that you are strong enough to survive.”


	12. Part 12

Frisk’s POV:

My soul pulsed out of my body, ready for battle. I hit the spare button. Toriel glared and shot flaming arrows at me. i swear I heard one of them whizzed past my ear. She notched 3 arrows in one shot and fired endlessly. I jumped and ducked and did everything in my power to dodge and not catch fire. Suffice it to say that during the break I had to stamp out flames on the sleeve of my sweater. But i managed and chose spare again. the heart-like pupils in Toriel’s eyes seemed to crack a little. She attacked again. One of the fire arrows singed my hair and there was the smell of combustion. I hissed. I liked my brown hari very much thank you. I was tempted to smack her with my stick, but I kept choosing spare. Finally, she gave up. “Please, if you leave, don’t come back. I hope you understand…” Tears leaked from her eyes. I noticed that the heart-like pupils in her eyes seemed broken into two. In that moment, so did mine. I held back from crying and moved forward to give her a hug. She stepped back. The hurt I felt, it was unbearable. My open arms fell to my side. Eyes trained on my feet, I shuffled dejectedly away.

The darkness creeped me out and sent shivers down my spine. Flowey popped out of the ground. “Howdy, again! So, You want to play by our own rules, huh? You want to spare everyone? But happens when you meet someone you can’t spare? You keep trying and trying, and eventually you have to kill them or die. What will you do then? You’ll see, in this world, it’s kill or be killed…” Maniacal laughter filled the chamber and Flowey tunnelled back underground. I cringed and forced myself to put one foot in front of the other. The air turned cold. Light was up ahead. I started running, the steady rhythm of my heartbeat thumping. A cold wind blew past, ruffling my hair. I ran though the doorway into a snowy wood. Snow was drifting softly down. I stretched out my hand to catch a snowflake. The chilly structure remained on my for a second, glinting in the light, before melting away. Smiling, I left deep footprints in the snow behind me. The crunch of the hard ice packed beneath my feet spilt the quiet atmosphere in a jarring noise. I rubbed my hands together and blew on them furiously. It sure was cold in Snowdin. Before long, I had arrived at the bridge. A voice sounded behind me.

“hey, don’t you know how to greet a new pal? turn around and shake my hand”

I turned around slowly, dreading what I would see. I don’t even know what I dreading, in particular. Finally, I was looking at Sans, face-to face. His gaze was hard, unlike the friendly, laid-back one I was used to. His usual blue jacket had been replaced with an almost black one with blue-orange flames at the bottom, and the hood had tinges of blue and orange. And his whip was in the other hand.

“I’m sans, sans the skeleton. and i already know who you are, don’t have to introduce yourself.” His cold stare frightened me. How was this Sans? The humorous skeleton who pulled jokes and puns was gone. In his place was a cold suspicious stranger. “you killed me in the last timeline don’t think i forgot.” I gulped in anticipation of what he would say next. But he kept quiet, as if he was waiting for my answer. I knew that he would judge me on how I replied. I had to answer carefully. Should i make reference to the genocide? Or Chara? Does he even know about Chara? I made up my mind. “I know getting killed by who you thought was a friend is unforgettable. But I’m sorry.” I shuffled my feet in shame and bowed my head. This wasn’t a pretence to get Sans to trust me. I was really guilty that I did not try to stop my counterpart. Not till the end. Sans seemed to be contemplating my answer. and his reply. 

“saying sorry is no use, you’ll see.” 

Tears welled up in me. What had the last route done to change this one? My reply came a moment later. Papyrus stalked, head high, across the bridge. He was carrying his mace as usual, but this time…this time…I gasped in shock as I saw his attire. Sans’s original blue jacket was in Papyrus’s possession. The orange scarf was still there, but the blue jacket covered the bottom edge.

“Sans. That’s a human isn’t it. Why are you so close? They could stab you at anytime.” Papyrus’s cold demeanour chilled me to my very core. He was not speaking in caps. Guess he was more careful now, and less impulsive. ‘Stab you at anytime’? This was not the Papyrus I knew. The look in Sans’s eyes softened and he seemed to come to a decision. He spoke. “This human hasn’t stabbed me in the last 5 minutes and anyway, I have a whip you know?” He cracked his whip wickedly. Electricity crackled and the air smelled like ozone. Papyrus stared at me before replying. “You can’t be too trusting, brother.” His eye flared a bright orange. I remembered now. He gained magic in the last timeline. Wait, did that mean he can remember the last timeline? Of me killing Sans? My heart rate sped up with panic. 

Papyrus kept swinging his mace. He was tense and edgy. Sans glared at me, as if to say it was my fault. And in a way, it was. “come on bro, let’s go.” 

“What about the human?”

“i don’t care.” The tone of his voice was devoid of any emotion. 

“We have to kill it before it does any damage.” Papyrus was calculating the pros and cons of killing me.

“i don’t care. it’s not worth my time.” Sans shot back before walking away.

Papyrus turned to me. I cowered under the steely gaze. “You…don’t follow us.” He brandished his weapon menacingly, before stalking after his brother.

I let out a breath I didn’t realise I was holding. This was so…new. So unfamiliar. The change was bigger here than with Toriel. My actions directly affect the monsters living here. And this time, I can’t turn back the clock.


	13. Part 13

Papyrus POV:

This human, was nothing more than a threat. A threat to the safety of this world. Yet, it carried a stick in hits hand, not a knife. The last timeline had been very traumatising. My mace was bouncing up and down in the bowl of my cupped hand. I’m going to watch it carefully.

Sans’s POV:

this human, was it on the pacifist route? it still had the stick. ah, I didn’t care anymore. the timeline is going to be reset soon anyway, i can’t be bothered. my whip was sizzling the air around it. life was a endless cycle of resents, one moment i could be fighting, the next i could be back at the bridge, in anticipation of the human that was fated to come through the purple door. papyrus was a better guard now, more hard-hearted. i could do nothing at all. this was supposed to be bliss, supposed to be happy. i had been yearning for another monster to share my thoughts with, to share the burdening knowledge of the past timelines. but everyone would forget, again and again. it had been so hard. now, papyrus knew of these things too. i had someone, someone who could understand. then why did i feel like i was missing something? it doesn’t matter anyway. nothing does. 

Frisk POV:

I ignored Papyrus’s warning and followed them into Snowdin. The bright banner was still unchanged, thank god. I don’t think I could handle anymore of this madness. Papyrus skeptical, Sans not caring…it was so surreal. Walking past all the shops, I made straight for the skelebros house. I shivered as a cold wind blew past. Hurrying on, the crunch of the snow beneath my feet was ever more noticeable. Before long, the brown orange structure of the house came into view. I ceased in walking and rapped sharply on the door. Twice. 

*But no one came.

A shiver ran down my spine. It felt familiar…too familiar. I pushed the door open gently and went in. All was silent, there was no sign of the skelebros. Climbing up the stairs, I went into Sans’s bedroom. The door was slightly ajar. Murmurs could be heard from behind. Hesitating, I pressed my ear to the door. 

“I don’t trust them.” Papyrus’s tone was neither warm, nor harsh. He was simply stating a fact.

“me neither. but we can at least put up with them. they haven’t shown any sign of LOVE yet.”

“Fine. But they could have the power to kill me or you, bro. I…don’t w-want to l-lose you again.” Muffled sobs were heard.

“i won’t leave you again…i…”

“…i promise.”

I turned away. By now, my sight was blurring behind a veil of pearly tears. What had I done to them? My hands flew up to my face and covered my eyes. I sunk slowly down to the floor, back against the door. The wooden plank slammed shut as I slid down. The whispers behind the door were silenced. Tears were falling like a waterfall. I, had taken Sans away from Papyrus. He had been forced to grow up, too fast. Had I really made him into the crueler being he is now? I fled down the steps, running. I never knew that the brothers had a back garden, until now, as I ran in and collapsed on the ground. My hands wrapped around a few blades of grass in a fist, crushing them. They were strongly sharp as they resisted the crush before giving way. Like a knife. I clawed at my heart, trying to rid of the sins that I had committed in the last timeline. Ripping furiously at the sweater I wore, what I had done weighed on me like a dead corpse, heavy and cold. I was almost hyperventilating, breaths coming in short, sharp gasps. The chilly air stung my nose bitterly. Blood seems to stain everywhere in my sight. It seemed to real. I fell back, trying breathe deeply to calm myself. It didn’t really work. Then, I heard soft footsteps. A pair of tall, dark orange boots stopped by my side before the rest of the figure sat down. 

“Hey, are you okay?” The tone was meant to seem neutral, but a tinge of concern slipped in.

Hearing this, I wiped away a few tears. If Papyrus had the heart in him to care, then not all hope was lost. “I’m fine.”

“So…you heard what my bro and I said huh?”

I nodded. 

“Umm,” He shuffled his feet a little. “I’ve been thinking over what Sans said…you haven’t killed anyone…so, I guess, maybe, you aren’t so bad?”

I sniffed the last of my tears. Papyrus had never been so suspicious, nor hesitant to become acquaintances. I looked up at him, trying to read his expression. It was blank, emotionless. 

“I’m sorry for being so rude earlier, you must know that I have had bad experiences with humans before.” His eye flashed dangerously. “But I thought,if my brother can tolerate you…maybe I could too?”

I was grateful. It was his new way of giving me a second chance. But I couldn’t help but notice his choice of words. ‘Tolerate’. Not ’trust’, or ‘believe”. My heart felt like splitting. This Papyrus…was so unfamiliar. But this was a start. Perhaps there was a glimmer of hope after all.

Thinking this, a bright red tomato plant in the corner caught my attention. It was flowering, brightly coloured, and a few small tomatoes were forming on it. Red, the colour of determination. Papyrus followed my gaze and gave a slight smile.

“Nice huh. I keep it in good condition in order to harvest nice tomatoes.: I nodded, smiling. Perhaps he could care for something after all. But his gaze shifted to something nearer to us. I looked and there was a beautiful purple flower standing proudly in the sun. Papyrus made to stand up. I scooted over a bit, watching him. He strode over to the flower, hesitated, then grasped it firmly before uprooting it with a sharp jerk. I gasped in horror. How could he have killed such innocent beauty? The old Papyrus would have let it be…

“You have to get rid of these. No matter how they look on the outside, they are bad for the environment. I will do anything to preserve my home.” His tone filled with viciousness and turned harsh. An fierce orange glow enamated from his left eye for a moment before fading. The flower was crushed in his fist mercilessly. It was a hidden threat, a warning. 

Flashbacks of the previous timeline poured into my mind and I shivered. I would do anything in my power to make sure that would not happen again. Who knows what hell the monsters would descend into? Wait, they were already in each of their own special hell. Papyrus in suspicion and Toriel with a broken heart. I’m not sure about Sans, but I know his life had been ruined by my resets. I snapped out of my thoughts. Papyrus was leaving the garden. I waited for his figure to disappear from sight completely before leaving myself.

Along the way to the shops in the town, I bumped into Sans. His whip was cracking idly against the ground, frying the snow. A bored expression lined his features. So that was how they made fried snow. I chuckled to myself. “hey what’cha laughing at kiddo?” His face was much more friendly than Papyrus’s, but it seemed more locked away, like he was putting on a brilliant performance. “Nothing.” I let my smile fade. “why so glum? come on, let’s go to grillby’s to cheer you up. i know a shortcut.” I followed him as compliance.


	14. Part 14

Frisk POV:

At grillby’s…

“heya grillbz, give me a medium fries with extra ketchup.”

“Sans…I know that means an extra bottle of ketchup.

“heh…you know me so well.”

“I didn’t say that I would give you that bottle.”

Sans made a face that he supposedly thought was cute, but it just turned out as half adorable and half badass. I don’t even know how he manages to look as badass as he does. I laughed. Grillby looked pissed off. I’m guessing that this conversation had been held many many times. 

“you know you can’t refuse…” Sans smirked.

“I hate you…” Grillby’s flame flared before dying down.

“that’s why we’re friends, heh. now, hurry up with the ketchup, i’m hungry.”

I decided to cut in at this point. “You’re always hungry Sans.”

His eye flashed dangerously. “Not that you would have seen much of it in the last timeline.” His deep voice was almost a growl now. I stared down guiltily, throat dry and choked.

Grillby put on a confused expression. “Sans…may I ask what are you talking about?”

Sans remained quiet. I followed suit. It was not a good idea to let slip of the fact that there were multiple timelines. Anyway, he probably wouldn’t understand, given that he has no memory of it. It was best to keep my lips tightly sealed.

Grillby nodded at our silence and left. I was glad that he was not the prying type. Sans sighed and rested his head on the counter.

“frisk, you know, one day this is all going to be reset. there isn’t any point in living eh? sometimes, i just want to take the easy way out, if you know what i mean…my whip placed on the table, the electricity that coursed through so many, and why not add one more to the death count?” At this point, he paused for breath and slumped even more. My expression softened as he continued. His tone was so depressing. “this world can’t be saved, not if someone can take it all away…it’s so hopeless.” His expression, broken resigned. His soul pulsed out at his words. It was colourless. I was taken aback because I had never seen anything like it, not in all the timelines I had traverse. But what caught my attention most was the health bar floating near him. It was grey throughout. My gaze swivelled to the value beside it. 

0/0 HP

My heart broke.


	15. Part 15

Frisk’s POV

I sat there, stunned. 0 hope. How was Sans even alive? Tears started sliding down my cheek. Having no hope: was that how his life was now? Sans was still slumped on the counter, oblivious to the fact that his soul and health bar had appear. Wait…why did they appear? He wasn’t in a battle, was he? I wiped my tears away. There would be time to think later. For now, it was dangerous. I scanned the room, eyes sharp, peering at any nook and cranny. And then I saw him. Flowey was sneaking through a crack in the wooden wall of the bar, shurikens at the ready. I locked his gaze. His cutesy expression morphed into a mischievous, wicked one. 

“Sans! Flowey’s behind you!” Sans snapped up and teleported away, not even bothering to look behind for Flowey. The throwing stars whizzed past harmlessly. I heaved a sigh of relief. Sans was smart enough not to turn around then. He was now safely behind Flowey. Flowey unfurled vines and whipped them backwards. Sans’s whip slashed through them, causing Flowey to let out a yelp of pain. I stood there helplessly, with no weapon to defend or help Sans with. The bar’s patrons had all fled by now. Sans brought his whip down on Flowey with a sickening crack. When the dust cleared, no smashed flower was seen. I gasped as a vine tightened around me, clasping my hands to my sides. “Help!” I screamed uselessly. Sans’s whip dropped to his side. “Put. Her. Down.” His voice was a low growl. Flowey merely chuckled. “Why should I? If you want to hurt me, you have to hurt her?” His sing-song voice seemed to tick Sans off. “F*** you!” Sans screamed and accurately swiped his whip to the side before drawing it back. Flowey’s right petal raced with electricity. He dropped me. Thoughts ran through my mind like bullet fire. Sans never did curse did he? There was a lot of new things I was learning today. “Let’s go Frisk.” He teleported over to me and grabbed my hand. “Wait, aren’t we going to defeat Fl—“ My speech was cut off by a shuriken speeding towards us just before we disappeared.

The feeling of teleporting was weird. We landed on the couch back at the skelebros house. Sans was panting hard.

Sans POV:

I was huffing. It took quite a bit of agility to dodge Flowey’s weapons. Frisk was looking surprised beside me. I just saved her, you know. “what?” I snapped. Frisk bit her lip, contemplating whether to tell me. “Nothing.” She shrugged and averted her gaze. She looked so cute like this. I knew she was hiding something but didn’t press it. “i’m bone tired. going to sleep.” I flopped backwards on the couch and tried to sleep. But the rush of adrenaline from battle was still there and thoughts were running like a train in my mind, but the train was crashing haphazardly. I groaned. A headache was coming. Pressing my hand to my forehead, I tried to relax but it still hurt. Frisk looked over concerned. Well, I didn’t want a human’s concern. I waved it off casually at her but in reality, it hurt like heck. I would get occasional headaches like these. She walked away. I growled. Finally I could be left in peace. Letting my guard down in the slightest, I released a huge sigh, letting the tension ebb out. I felt slightly better and closed my eyes. I thought I heard a voice calling, but the static noises of the surroundings soon faded away.

 

Frisk POV

I walked into the kitchen, looking for the painkillers. When I had located them in a inconspicuous cupboard in the corner, I returned to the living room. Sans was slumped backwards, arms out stretched and limp. I dropped the pills and ran forward. “Sans! Sans are you okay?” I screamed and shook his arm. He didn’t respond. He couldn’t be dead, could he? I was about to cry until I saw the gentle rise and fall of his ribcage. A sigh of relief escaped my mouth. Living with Sans was difficult and unpredictable. I sat down beside him, careful not to wake him up. Reflecting on the event earlier, the flashback of Sans’s battle with Flowey came clearly in my mind. Flowey was the attacker, while Sans had been defending. He didn’t really bother to finish him off. Strange, the old Sans wouldn’t take chances. Perhaps I should have asked him about it earlier instead of saying ‘nothing’. I guess I could ask him after he wakes up. I made myself more comfortable in my seat. Then I had this insane urge to get some popcorn. NO! I had just made myself comfortable and now I had to get up. Forcing myself out of the couch, I slouched all the way to the kitchen. The fridge wouldn’t hold popcorn, just spaghetti and maybe ketchup so I checked the drawers. Luckily, there was a bag of about-to-expire popcorn in the bottom drawer. My trip to the kitchen was not wasted. I ripped open the bag and crunched down on some. Still good, I thought before walking back to the couch. My gaze fell on Sans. He looked so open when sleeping, unlike his usual locked away self. The expression on his usually hardened features was now peaceful. But it held pain, a subtle pain. I realised that I had stopped reaching for popcorn. Should I continue eating? I didn’t want to wake him.

 

Sans POV (dream self):

All was black.

I looked down. I was standing on a black floor-thing? That’s when the colours swirled and formed a scene.

I was in Snowdin, the place where the forest lined either side of the path. Nothing could be seen clearly due to the heavy white mist except for the vague outline of two figures, one tall, one short. A glint of light showed through the mist. I stepped forward, into a brighter, clearer clearing. Papyrus and Frisk was there. I looked down at my jacket. It was a plain blue. A jolt of fear rushed through me. I looked back up. Frisk, no it was Chara, the sweater was Chara’s, lunged forward, knife slashing. Papyrus jumped back and retaliated with a swing of his mace, but I could tell he was holding back. This scene, it’s the one burned into my mind like a scar. I silently screamed as I saw Chara about to land the finishing blow. In a flash, I ran and jumped in front of my brother, arms out stretched. The blade streaked towards me and it hit. I dropped to the ground, bleeding severely. Glancing upwards, Papyrus’s shocked expression greeted me. His arms reached out to catch my falling figure. Cradled in his arms, I coughed out blood and with it, my last words. “i’m…going…to……….papyrus…do you want anything?” My head fell limp in his arms. The world blacked out momentarily before returning to the scene. But now, I was a bystander, a ghost perhaps, watching from far. Papyrus was hugging my corpse (it’s really weird to see myself dead) The look in his eyes…I broke and started sobbing. “papyrus…” I called, but he couldn’t hear me. Glowing tears were streaming from my eyes. Papyrus was crying hard now, an orange flame glowing from his left eye. Chara says something, but I’m too distracted to care. Thrashing, I try to get back to him, to tell him he’s not alone, but to no avail. I float up behind him and hug him sobbing hard. Pain welled up in me like a venomous snake. My shoulders shudder violently as my ghostly hands phase through Papyrus’s scarf. Then the surroundings changed rapidly.

Frisk POV (concurrent with the dream):

I was still trying to decide when Sans started thrashing about. At first it was just a stir but it soon escalated into almost killing the sofa. I scrambled off, scattering popcorn everywhere. “Sans?” I called, a little louder than I would usually speak. Sans didn’t respond, but continued flailing blindly. His face contorted and he was muttering intelligible stuff under his breath. Blue tears were forming at the corner of his eyes. “SANS!” I screamed much much louder, seeing that he was probably not going to respond to babying. Nope, nothing happened. I gathered up my courage to push him off the couch. I went behind him and almost got a slap to the face twice. The popcorn had been tossed aside a while back. I braced my back against the wall and pushed Sans off the couch. He was very heavy and I grunted with the effort expended. Thump! Sans’s eyes burst open and he flicked his whip into view. “WHAT WAS THAT FOR?” Sans screamed at me in caps, even though he never spoke in caps. I cowered and whispered, “You were having a nightmare…or something.” 

Sans growled at me. He did not take kindly to being forced awake, even if it was a bad dream. Whirling around, he stormed up to his room and slammed the door, breathing hard.


	16. Part 16

Sans’s POV:

I slammed the door violently. It made a satisfying thud. I lay down on my bed, breathless. The dream still remained vivid in my mind. Glowing tears dripped down on to my flamed jacket. Papyrus was not dead was he? I scrabbled uselessly at the bedsheets, trying to slow my heartbeat. (A/N: Does he have one?) My gaze fell on a random piece of paper lying by my bedside table. I lunged for it and crushed it viciously in my fist before flinging it at the opposite wall. My breath came in short gasps. The paper became uncrumpled as it smashed against the wall, revealing some colour. I couldn’t care less. I closed my eyes and broke down. I can’t…I can’t continue this life of nightmares. Papyrus has lost his kindness…the very essence of who he was. What more is there to live for? I grabbed my whip and flicked it to activate its electricity. It crackled to life in my hands. I gathered up all my willpower and determination. Gritting my teeth, I slashed the whip outwards…and back into my throat. A searing pain shot through me like a thousand electric eels. I dropped the whip on the bed and recoiled, whimpering. I was mostly paralysed now, by the electricity. Did I have the strength to do what was next? I sputtered out a bit of blood before reaching for my whip again. My hand shook from the electricity and pain. Like glass shards ripping through me, tearing my bones out one by one simultaneously. My hand curled around the bony handle of the whip. It was cool to the touch. One more hit, I could probably take my life. Papyrus could survive without me for all I care. Which was none, I didn’t care about anything at all. The world’s so hopeless anyway, it can’t be saved, nothing can be saved. Who knows, I might be alive again in the next reset, which would come eventually. Struggling against the paralysing effect of the crackling electricity, I brought the whip to my neck.

Then, the door flew open.

There was Frisk, standing, mouth agape as they caught sight of the blue electric glow that filled the room. And the whip in my hand. They gasped and ran over, prying the whip from my grip. I was too weak to resist. They held it carefully, like it was a deadly weapon that could kill anyone with one swipe, which it was. “please…i’m begging you…” The words escaped my mouth even before I thought them. I couldn’t stand the pain, I couldn’t stand the hurt, I couldn’t stand my f***king life! I didn’t know why, but I was on the verge of sobbing now. No, not a break down, I was broken since this timeline started. Just primal sobbing. Frisk looked at me, eyes full of pity. “please…do it. kill me…” I begged for mercy. For them to spare me and end my existence. The electricity was shocking me up and down, painfully. Frisk seemed to be in a dilemma, hesitant. I couldn’t take anymore pain, anymore suffering. I could see their gaze slowly shifting to my health bar. 

0/0 HP

Screw the health bar, I could die if I want. They seemed to come to a decision. I sighed in relief as I saw the hand raise the whip.

I closed my eyes.

Nothing.

I shifted uncomfortably as the electricity drained my energy. It was a special upgrade, I remember going to Alphys for it. You must be wondering why I am thinking of how cool my weapon is when I’m about to die. You must also be thinking how I am even breaking the fourth wall. But that’s a story for another timeline. Till then, goodbye world.

Still nothing. I was getting irritated and opened my eyes. Why was it so difficult to die? Frisk’s figure stood there, whip no longer in hand. Their hand was outstretched, as if to help me get up. But I didn’t want to get up. I felt my energy draining fast. The longer the electricity stayed, the faster it took away my energy. And after all my energy, after all my fight was gone…it would take me. It was simply a waiting game. Frisk’s eyebrows creased and she motioned for me to get up. But my vision was already blurring and the world was swimming before my eye sockets. I couldn’t get up, even if I wanted to. So tired…I think i’ll just…stay…lying here…it’s comfortable…t…to…too…com…comfort……table………..

 

Frisk POV:

The lights in Sans’s eye sockets disappeared. I panicked and started running around in circles. He couldn’t be dead right, just asleep? The rise and fall of his ribcage was getting less and less distinguishable. Sans can’t go… 

“Sans…” I called out, in a whimper. What could have caused him to try and kill himself like that? My shoulders were shuddering violently as I cried. It was no use trying to hold back my tears. “Sans—“ It came out as a long primal scream as the last of his breath extinguished and the steady rhythm of his ribcage ceased. “Sans—Sans—please don’t leave me. what about papyrus who’s going to protect him? I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, the last timeline, I’m so so sorry, I let you down I don’t want you to go—stay with me, please stay, don’t leave. come back…I’m so sorry…” My anguished sobs died as I choked out those last words. My knees gave way and I collapsed on the ground in a heap. “don’t go…” A mere whisper slipped out from my lips. My sobs quietened in the way when reality sets in. Sans was gone, he would never be back, he was gone forever. I can’t…

In a moment of guilt-ridden thoughts, i grabbed the electric whip that was lying beside me. My tears were streaming and my eyes red and puffy. Sans’s lifeless body lay on the bed, still forever. My fingers curled around the whip, unfamiliar and strange. It felt cold to the touch, cold as in unfriendly, like it did not like to be in my hands. Suddenly, it felt like an old friend, a weapon of destruction, wrath. It seemed to mold to my hand, like it was a perfect fit. I jumped and the whip fell back to the ground, coiling up like a snake ready to strike. I shuddered. Then I caught sight of Sans and wanted to cry again. But I had no more tears. I gazed at him, solemn and still. Even in death, he looked graceful and deadly. Like an angel, an angel of justice. But that was in the original timelines. That Sans, the one who would fight for love, who would fight for peace, was gone. In his place was a cold, uncaring creature. I bowed my head. How could I be thinking this? I was responsible. And he still was Sans, no matter what. Right?

I reached for the whip again, head still bowed in sorrow. My fingertips brushed against a partially-crushed piece of paper. It was probably smashed on the wall, given its position. Looking up, behind my veil of tears showed a picture. I gingerly picked it up, careful not to let my tears drip on it. It was taken a long time ago, given the yellowing edges. I uncrumpled it, fingers trembling from my quiet sobs. Once or twice I almost dropped it. It was a family portrait. I scanned the picture. 3 skeletons. Sans was wearing a blue hoodie and smiling. He looked very happy. I wept. He could have been happy if not for me. Sniffing tears, I looked to the next figure. It looked like Papyrus, but he was about Sans’s height. His red scarf was blowing into the last skeleton’s face, rendering the last one unable to be recognised. But beneath the blocked part lay a genial smile. He was wearing a lab coat, and towered above Sans and Papyrus. I wonder who it is. But it didn’t matter, that was not important. They all looked so happy…

The corners of my mouth lifted slightly at Sans’s little smile. It was the only time he looked truly happy. His usual smiles were either forced or partial. It was the one thing that didn’t change in the multiple timelines. I gave a bitter laugh. The one thing that didn’t change…was the same familiar, pained smile. I let one show on my face myself before grabbing the whip. An idea had popped into my head. 

I slashed the whip into my chest. Pain surged through my entire being as the electricity tore at me and the whiplash burned. My health bar appeared and it raced closer and closer to zero.


	17. Part 17

Frisk POV:

I opened my eyes to find myself in the black save screen. So the whip did kill me after all. My hand immediately reached out to reload. Then a voice spoke up. 

“Tsk tsk tsk. Getting cocky now, are we?” The voice had a metallic ring to it, and it sounded like how I would imagine glitching speech to sound like. I spun around, trying to find the perpetrator. 

“Now you see me, now you don’t.” A red outline flashed before me for a second before disappearing. Cold maniacal laughter echoed throughout the chamber. It was obviously Chara. Their voice sent shivers up my spine. But then another voice spoke.

‘hey.”

It was deeper, smoother. I would go as far to say that it was soothing even. It vaguely rang a bell, but I could not really place it. This voice, I had never heard it in the save screen before. But it made me sad, unbearably sad.

“stop messing with the kid.” The way of speech, the tone, the slight, almost dangerous emphasis on the word ‘kid’, it was so familiar. The pain behind the voice was so familiar too. Yet I couldn’t recall.

“Oh, why should I, comedian? Have you forgotten what I can do?” Chara shot back to the other voice in a playfully threatening tone. The word comedian was stressed for extra dramatic effect. Neverless to say, it worked. Comedian, huh.

“do you want to have a bad time?” These words were the most familiar. It placed exactly in a memory of mine, even the way it was said. But in that time, it seemed to have been directed at me. The memories were coming back, slowly, I begun to piece together the information and soon, I had a vague idea of who was the voice. A faint song plays in the distance. It had some electric guitar notes. The name of the song…it was so far yet so near. Strangely, I was straining to remember who this voice was instead of reloading. But I had all the time in the world here anyway.

Chara’s form appeared, cast in shadow. A wicked chuckle escaped their lips. It was creepy as a bright blue glow came from behind them, making them even more menacing. However, their laugh was soon drowned out by even more crazed laughter, a deep, mad laugh. It quickly escalated into full-blown maniacal laughter. I could see Chara’s eyes widening in fear. They were trying to hide it but it was failing. They turned around slowly, knife in hand glinting. The figure behind them was in a jacket with flames and his left eye was glowing with a bright blue flame. It flickered with streaks of orange occasionally. His voice went down to a low growl. 

“let’s just get to the point.”

I slammed on the reload button. 

 

I found myself right at the entrance of Snowdin. Sans should be here. Sans! Sudden realisation hit me as I realised Sans should be back from the dead here. “Sans! Sans!” I went about running in the village, screaming my throat out. The passerbys stared at me in shock but I ignored them. Tears were springing up in the corner of my eyes. The cold pierced through me like a spear but I was determined to find Sans. I slammed my palm into the door leading to Grillby’s and glared my way in. The patrons cowered and looked away. Stomping to Grillby, I got to the point. “Have you seen Sans?” I slammed my hand on the counter. Grillby, ever polite, looked startled at my outburst. “Are you okay…and no I haven’t seen him.” I huffed in frustration and thanked him before heading to the skelebros house.

My brown boots crushed the the snow beneath them. Panting, I hurried to the little brown house on the edge of town. The door was almost blasted down as I rammed a fist into it. “Hey hey hey hey…don’t go killing doors.” A loud voice sounded as the figure came out of the kitchen. “Bro, are you the one destroying doors?” He looked to the door. “Oh. It’s you.” So Papyrus remembered me. “Yeah.” I replied mutely. “Is Sans here?” Papyrus’s expression hardened and his eye glowed orange. “What do you want with him?” He growled, mace at the ready. I was experienced enough to know that he was very skilled with that mace. “I’m just looking for him. I can’t find him.” Papyrus glared at me. “I’ll be watching you. Sans is in his room.” I gave a sigh of relief and shot Papyrus a grateful glance. His eyes softened as he led me up the stairs and pushed open the door to Sans’s room. I peeked in.

“Sans?” I called. Sans was sitting on the bed, facing away from me. He kept quiet. Papyrus shuffled uneasily. He wasn’t used to Sans ignoring me. “I’ll just…go now. Take care of yourself, bro.” He left us and the sound of his footsteps faded eventually.

“Why didn’t you let me die?” His voice was quiet, resigned. Even though he tried to hide it, a tinge of anger flooded his tone. I didn’t know how to answer. Why didn’t I let him die? Words came tumbling out of my mouth even though I didn’t think them. “I didn’t want you to go.” I muttered quietly. The atmosphere in the room was tense. Sans spoke up again, voice trembling with anger. 

 

“You only think about yourself, Frisk.”

The words struck me like bullets. Sans was right. But I refused to believe it. I tried to defend myself, stumbling over my words. “P-Papyrus wouldn’t have w-wanted you to g-go either.”

“What about me?” The deadly quiet tone sent shivers up my spine. 

“What about me?” He repeated and started shifting to face me. I kept silent, not knowing the right way to respond. His eye sockets were ink black, a void, his brow furrowed. 

“What about me!”

Sans raised his voice and shouted at me. I backed away in fright. There was a little desperation and resignation in his deep voice. I could hear it. Beneath his calm demeanour, was a broken spirit. He seemed to reverted back to his usual tone after his outburst. It was very creepy.

“i wanted to die, i struck myself for a reason. it’s because of you! you ruined everything! you won’t even let me leave in peace!” It started off soft and rose to a crescendo. His voice shook a little at the last words from the volume and rage. The words hurt me. So badly.

“let me die. i don’t want to live. it’s pointless.” Sans said, very neutrally, like he was stating a cold hard fact. I cried inside. I missed the old Sans. The one who would make me laugh. Now, he made me cry. I wanted him back. Was he capable of being saved? From himself? He probably doesn’t even want to be helped. I thought bitterly to myself. But I had to try.

“Sans…” I let the name drag. He kept quiet, seemingly lost in his own little world. “You don’t have to be like this. You can be happy again.”

“i can’t. papyrus…have you seen him?”

I nodded guiltily. I wanted to help both of them. Give Sans hope, show Papyrus kindness, one by one. It was hard, but I was determined to get them back. The past, I would try, to put it behind me.

“You could have meaning in your life again, only if you tried to see it.”

“i used to live to protect papyrus, his innocence, the unblemished pure soul that he was. until you came along.”

Was he trying to guilt trip me? It worked. Tears welled up in my throat. 

The apathetic tone scared me. I didn’t know if his old personality would ever return. 

“You still can.” I whispered.

“what is there left to protect?” His voice was thick, like he was on the verge of crying. It was much softer.

“Everything…” I let that last word ring in the air. Tears had already stained my cheeks a long while back. Sans didn’t say anymore. He shifted to turn away from me. I stood there, tears dripping down my chin. The room was quiet.


	18. Chapter 18

Frisk POV:

I could tell that Sans was asleep. His breathing was rhythmic and slow. Brushing my eyes, I slid the door open gently and tiptoed out, careful not to wake him. Hopefully he wouldn’t have nightmares. “Sweet dreams…” I whispered before closing the door. 

I walked down the stairs, lost in thought. That was difficult. I had to try harder. I to stay determined. But first, I needed to think. Leaving the house, I trudged out in the cold. Sans was more depressed lately. The first time I saw him in the previous timeline, he was a little more carefree, or at least put up a better act. Now, it seemed like he didn’t bother. I walked into the snowy woods. Snowflakes were falling and I caught one in my palm. It melted instantly. My mouth curled into a small smile. Looking ahead, I saw a mice clean tree, and sat down at the base of it. I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath, trying to relax. The beautifully cool air help as did the falling snow. My sweater allowed me blissful warmth. A warm feeling washed over me. I felt so sleepy. Guess I’ll just take a little nap…

 

Sans POV (after he woke, which was pretty soon):

I opened my eyes slowly. The room was dark. I thought about what Frisk had said.

“You could have meaning in your life again, only if you tried to see it.”

“i used to live to protect papyrus, his innocence, the unblemished pure soul that he was. until you came along.”

“You still can.” 

“what is there left to protect?” 

“Everything…” 

I let out a breath I didn’t know I hd been holding. The window was frosted over with…well frost. I rapped it sharply with my bony knuckles. The ice shattered, revealing a winter wonderland outside. A beautiful sight met my eyes. The snow, it was so beautiful. Like Papyrus. Like Frisk. Both in a different way. I wanted Papyrus to come back. An inkling of kindness would show in the rarest of times. Nature brought out the best in him.

 

Papyrus and I were on guard duty. I finally took this job seriously, and Papyrus was proud. I knew what it meant if an evil human were to pass by in these parts. But it was my break time in about a minute. Hands in pockets, I extended one to Papyrus, inviting him to join me. For once, he slackened his guard. “Not far.” he said. I nodded and we trudged into the nearby forest side by side in silence. 

A rabbit ran past us, causing me almost to trip. And to make matters worse, right in front of the path of the rabbit was a large tree root, which I did not manage to step over. I fell flat on my face in the hard packed snow, groaning. “Pap…?” I tried to get up but then maw hip fell out of my hand and I scrambled to get it, making me trip again. What a great day I was having. Please note the obvious sarcasm. 

Finally, after much struggle, I got to my feet, throughly pissed that Pap didn’t help me out. I looked around for him before finding him nearby. He was attacking a large wolf. The fluffy white rabbit was cowering behind. The wolf yelped in pain as the spikes of Papyrus’s mace dug into his rich white fur. “stop!” I shouted for him to quit it. The wolf was howling in pain, in no condition to flee. I teleported over. “The rabbit was being chased.” Papyrus frowned. The majestic wolf dragged itself behind me. “let it go. it’s the natural order of nature anyway.” I was throughly annoyed, both from being tripped by a tree root and the stupid expression on the rabbit’s face, which I thought looked very smug. Well, until I glared at it. 

“come on, our break is almost over anyway.” Papyrus rolled his eyes and his eyes reverted to its usual locked away self. We started walking out. I could see out of the corner of my eye the wolf limping slowly behind, dripping blood. The rabbit was trying to tail us as well, but kept a great distance between itself and the wolf. It looked like Papyrus noticed as well, because he paused for a second and turned, as if to see if the rabbit was safe. I looked at the wolf. Its former snow white coat was stained with red, and it was whimpering slightly. We left the forest soon after. I swore I heard the wolf howl, but perhaps it was my imagination.

 

Papyrus had cared. He had been worried for the rabbit. I wondered if he could be saved. He was now a mere shadow of his former self. But…with this memory…perhaps there was a little hope. 

Sans  
0/0 HP

0.1/0.1 HP

 

/“what is there left to protect?” 

/“Everything…”


	19. Part 19

Frisk POV:

I snapped awake. What was the time? I rushed out of the forest, snapping twigs and sticks as I went. I basically left a path of destruction and mess behind me. And I was very loud. Then, a thought struck me. Sans. He was still at home. What if he tried to kill himself again? I ran as fast as I could, breathing heavy. At the house, I flung open the door and practically pushed down the stairs as I raced up it. Papyrus looked mildly irritated at my loud and rude arrival. I ripped open the door to Sans’s room. He was awake. More importantly, alive. I heaved a sigh of relief and almost collapsed. Sans turned his head to look at me before turning back. Then, I caught sight of his health bar, floating a little above his head.

0.1/0.1 HP

Hope. He had hope. I started laughing crying in joy. My words had hopefully (no pun intended) convinced him to keep living. I was positively sobbing now. At the horrible noise of my crying and laughter mix, Sans turned and sat up. “why are you crying?” I swallowed and choked out, “I’m laughing, not crying.” “then why are there tears on your cheeks?” “I…don’t know.” I started laughing and crying even harder. Sans looked at me. He’s judging me, I know, haha, why am I thinking these idiotic thoughts. I was so overcome with relief and happiness I was almost delirious. Sans was staring at me. Then he began to smile. The corners of his mouth turned up and his smile widened rapidly. Before long, he was laughing with me, almost as hard. It sounded very unrestrained like he’s been holding back a laugh for years and is letting all of it out in one shot right now. We kept laughing and laughing and laughing. Sans looked like he was mad, and that made me laugh more. Our loud laughing brought Papyrus to the door.

 

Papyrus POV:

I opened the door after hearing the sound of loud laughter. A rare sight greeted me. Sans was laughing his head off, for no apparent reason. It was kind of creepy because I haven’t seen Sans laugh in years. And now he was laughing like it was the civil war and a doctor was coming to chop off his legs. The human was sobbing and laughing at the same time, making their shoulders shudder violently. “Sans?” I said softly. He seemed not to hear and continued laughing like a maniac. Blue glowing droplets of tears were forming at the corners of his eye sockets from laughing. “Uhh…” I stuttered out, backing out of the room. And then Sans seemed to catch sight of me and abruptly stopped laughing. It was super weird. One moment he was laughing maniacally and the next he was absolutely silent. It was as if someone had cancelled out the noise. The human was still laughing in the background though. We locked eyes. His gaze didn’t really communicate anything. But then he smiled. 

i’m happy you’re here, pap. 

And I couldn’t help but smile back. Me too, Sans, me too.

The human looked at us and grinned. I glared back. If they tried to take Sans from me, let’s just say they’re going to have a really good time. The human stopped smiling. Sans’s grin faded. “could you come here a sec, pap? i need to talk to you.” Sans beckoned me out of the door. The human looked puzzled but didn’t question it. “Yeah, Sans?” We were safely out of earshot. Sans fidgeted and then asked me sometime that caught me off-guard.

“could you come on a walk with me?” He raised his head to make eye-contact. “Why would you want to go on a walk? I thought you hated moving.” I was sincerely puzzled at his strange request. “please?” I smiled and nodded. A walk couldn’t hurt, could it?

We went out into the snowy forests of Snowdin. It was a wonderful sight that I would have enjoyed if not for the fact that we had left the human alone in town, leaving the villagers to their mercy. Sans looked a little uneasy as well. I could tell he was trying to shrug it off but it was not really working. We trudged deeper into the woods in silence. Snow was falling lightly. I hugged the blue jacket I wore tighter around me. Sans was zipping up his flamed one. Coming to think of it, I never knew where exactly did he get that one. But I continued on and didn’t ask him about it.

“so…” Sans let the word linger in the air between us.

“so…what?” I asked.

“nothing.” He let out a light chuckle.

I smiled. Sans was so immature. We were deep into the forest now, silent from all civilisation. “Hey, bro, have you ever wanted to go up to the surface? To see the stars? To see the sun?” Sans raised his eyebrows. “no, it’s pointless anyway.” I was going to ask him what he meant by that before I figured it out. The resets were so repetitive. Waking up one morning to discover yourself back in bed when the moments you last remember was of yourself fighting in a battle. Lost in thoughts, I failed to notice the large wolf bounding towards us.


	20. Part 20

Papyrus POV:

“papyrus! look out!” Sans yelled at me. I scrambled away, as did Sans. Both panting and out of breath. Sans had already gotten his whip out and ready. “i won’t hesitate.” The wolf growled and pounced on Sans diminutive stature, effectively pinning the whip between Sans and itself. My eyes widened as I realised one of the only things that could kill my brother was his own whip. If the electricity activated… I ran forth to pry off the wolf. I couldn’t see him die again, I couldn’t be left alone again. “Sans! Don’t move or you’ll activate the whip!” Sans screamed at me. “stop!” The wolf froze as I did. I turned to look at the wolf. The confusion in its eyes was very clear. Then, it did something I thought I’d never see. It stepped back, off Sans. I backed away as it surveyed the two of us. My brother was lying on the ground wincing. The wolf leaped on Sans again, knocking him back to the ground. It started licking his face. I was shocked. “Get off.” I tried to shoo off the wolf but nothing happened. Sans smiled lightly. “it’s probably the same wolf i saved last time from that mace. do you remember?” I searched deep within my memories. That wolf that was hunting the rabbit, yes. My expression softened. “Oh. But get off my brother.” 

As if it seemed to understand, the wolf looked at me before stepping off. Sans took a deep breath. “Well, are you going to do anything about it? I don’t know.” I asked, wondering if we should still continue the walk. Sans nodded. “nah, let’s just continue walking. guess i didn’t die today, not that I’m saying that’s a good thing.” I shot him a look. If he was gone, I would have nothing left, I remembered the previous timelines…In some ways, the knowledge was more of a burden than a blessing. I thought back to the good old times where I knew nothing of such happenings. Sans had been a little more cheerful, but at night he would occasionally get nightmares. How I had failed to notice the pained look in his eyes as I comforted him back to sleep. I had been such a horrible brother. Orange tears had sprung to my eyes as I had been lost in thought; I didn’t even notice. “paps, are you okay?” Sans had noticed. He was so much more observant. “Huh? Yeah, I’m fine.” I raised my had to brush of the tears, staining my cheeks. Sans laughed darkly. “huh…well, the truth is that we can never be completely fine. not with all this going on.” He waved his hand. I knew he couldn’t possibly be talking about the snow falling…yeah, it was the resets. I felt more hot tears well up in my throat, but I pressed them down and locked them away. I couldn’t show weakness at a time like this. I couldn’t show weakness at anytime. Looking behind us as we trudged deeper into the woods, I watched the wolf pad behind us slowly, a good distance away, as if it was afraid of us but didn’t want to leave. I pointed this out to Sans. He raised his eyebrows and looked back as I did. We stopped and the wolf stopped as well. It was a beautiful creature really, with the light reflecting off it’s fur. I could see the trace remains of a scar by it’s side, a scar inflicted by me. A tinge of guilt crept up on me but I squashed it. Sans was already approaching the wolf. “look, it isn’t going to harm us.” I smiled as I saw that he was right. He was petting the wolf gently on the head, like a pet.

Sans POV:

When I saw Papyrus’s face lit up, my world felt complete for an instant, if only for an instant. I reciprocated his smile. There seemed to be no trace of hostility. It was his old smile, the one that I had missed so much. I tried not to cry and instead enjoyed every second of that smile as it lasted. Papyrus stalked over to the wolf. I had to make use of this wolf to make Papyrus smile. I longed to see that smile everyday. Feeling a little bad that I thought of this living creature as an object to be used for my own purposes, I petted it. It was not as if it didn’t want to be pet. I felt emotion wash over me as Papyrus’s smile widened slightly. The wolf let out little noises of contentment. It was really intelligent for its kind though, understanding speech and recalling memories and experiences. Even the sound of my voice. 

“stop!” I shouted for him to quit it. 

I screamed at him. “stop!”

Such intelligence…it was uncanny for a mere animal. Then again, it could have been top notch. I shrugged it off and tried to enjoy the moment. It was hard because the nagging feeling that Frisk was going to go on a genocide back in town was repetitively gnawing at me. Oh and you know, the tiny fact that this whole world could reset at anytime. It was such a small thing, I really shouldn’t worry about it. The sarcasm is real. 

The wolf was snapping at Papyrus’s mace as he approached, half baring it’s teeth and half whimpering in fear. Papyrus picked up on this and hid his mace behind his back. I was glad to see that. The wolf, I should really stop referring to this above average intelligent creature as ‘the wolf’, relaxed. “should we keep it? it seems unwilling to budge from following us after all.” I was eager to see Papyrus smile, I mean, really smile again. “Sure, whatever floats your boat.” Papyrus tried to play it cool but a trace of excitement leaked into his voice. It was the first time either of us had tried to keep a pet. “uhh…can we just leave it here in the forest and promise we’ll come back? the forest is its natural habitat after all, and its not like i know what to feed it anyway. it also can probably understand what we are saying.” Papyrus sighed in relief. It seemed like the food problem had been bugging him before I provided a solution. The wolf nodded in agreement. Wow, I was growing more and more impressed with the animal’s capabilities by the second. It seemed almost…human/monster. I had to admit, I liked the idea of a wolf at my service. It was cool. Okay, why such childish thoughts. I quit and went on to more important matters. Like what to call it. I couldn’t call it ‘the wolf’ forever, right? I told Papyrus and he said he didn’t care. His exact words were: “The wolf likes you more, I tried to kill it once remember?” before crossing his arms. I hesitated. My mind was blank and I couldn’t think of any names. That was when the wolf beckoned towards the light. I was not really sure where exactly the light came from, seeing as though we were underground and they didn’t look like electric bulbs to me, but it was just…there. I scrunched up my face. “uh…the light?” I asked the wolf. I felt a little stupid talking to a wolf, but luckily it nodded. Papyrus looked like he was on the verge of bursting into laughter as he watched. I scowled and went on. “you want to be called light???” I was thoroughly puzzled, but the wolf shook its head. It started opening and closing its front paws after directing my attention to them. It was using its paws like hands, wow. Like when you bring your fingers together to make a beak like shape and open them again? Yeah, that was what it did. I tried to think of names connected to this strange phenomenon and failed. Papyrus was chuckling silently. “blinking lights? uh…explosion?” Papyrus positively howled with laughter at my confusion. This was a pleasant change from his usual stern look. The wolf looked at me. I swore there was irritation its eyes. It continued making the same blinking motion with its paws. After sometime of unsuccessful communication, it gave up and growled at me. I was laughing inside at this lack of communication. The wolf started to paw at the ground. No, wait, it was drawing? Its intelligence knew no bounds. A vague shape appeared in the fresh snow. 

For illustration purposes: 

_  
_______ / l_ _____ ——  
|_______ l -‘ _____  
\ _l ——

A flashlight? What was a flashlight supposed to do with naming a wolf…oh wait…

“your name’s flash?” The wolf jumped up and howled in joy, and probably relief at having gotten its message through. I heaved a huge sigh of relief. Papyrus had regained his composure and was smiling placidly. It was not a real smile, but one nonetheless. “okay flash…we’ll be back tomorrow ok? just come when you hear this.” I whistled, glad that I had thought of this idea. Flash nodded and raced off. “that was an enthusiastic goodbye…” Papyrus raised his eyebrows before replying. “We need to get back to guard duty, we’ve taken too long.” “more importantly, we need to check on frisk.” 

“The human? I thought you said you trusted them, not that I do.”   
“i said i trusted them doesn’t mean i trust them entirely.”  
“I’m glad to hear that. Be on your guard always, brother.”   
“i will. you too.”

We disappeared in a flash of blue and orange light.


	21. Part 21

Sans POV:

We appeared in front of Grillby’s. I had this urge to go in and get drunk on ketchup, but I suppressed it. Instead, my brother and I looked around for Frisk. It might seem odd that we chose to go to a shop instead of home, where we last saw Frisk, but our objective wasn’t to look for Frisk.

It was to look for what Frisk had done.

My sharp eyes scanned the area. No sign of distress or anything. I was just about to relax my guard before I thought better of it. (A/N: haha i bet you thought oh no, he’s gonna see dust right after reading ‘I was just about to relax my guard’) Going around to the back of Grillby’s, I left Papyrus standing in the snow, searching for any traces of dust. I walked around, whip out and frying the snow. Hoping that the kid was a true pacifist and didn’t kill anyone, I brushed away the ferns that block my sight. I turned my head to the side, not wanting to look. I was afraid of what I would see. Finally, I brought myself to look. And there was…

Nothing.

I heaved a huge sigh of relief before continuing my check. Actually, why was I even doing this? It would all reset anyway. I paused in my tracks. Papyrus didn’t have to be protected, he could protect himself, right? Then why was I eve searching for any dead monsters? Resets would eventually bring them back to life. If a genocidal human was on the loose, resets would eventually correct their mistakes. So why was I even here? My whip fell slack. Resets could reverse anything. Anything…well except for Papyrus. That was irreversible. So why bother? Why the heck am I here? I was just another monster leeching off this sorry universe, with no purpose other than to live. I didn’t even know why I was living actually. What’s the point? Every time I try to do something, invest in something, it all falls apart after an instant, after a reset. If a reset happened, Flash wouldn’t remember either. It would just be a normal wolf with no whatsoever connection to me and paps. And the human…it would be so unpredictable. They could be good, they could be bad, they could be neutral. But it all reseted in the same way. Up there in the surface, they say entropy’s a thing. But resets in the world should prevent that. How does that even work? I didn’t care. If I died right here, due to any cause, I would be revived again, after the next reset. They were inevitable, some day, one way of another, someone’s going to reset. I had been standing here for too long. Way too long. There’s no meaning in my life, except Paps. But he can take care of himself,he’s grown up. I’ve kept the promise I made to dad. 

“Take care of your younger brother.” 

His last words as he fell, deep into the abyss, deep into the void where he lay forgotten. Even Papyrus doesn’t remember. Only I do. And now that that promise’s been kept, I could join him. It was a tempting offer, only I alone knew where he fell, and how he left us. Skeleton’s magic changes the machine’s fumes, the smoke that it gives out. It makes the monsters forget. If I took the same way as my father, there was a chance that Papyrus would forget me. An improbable chance, but a chance still. It would probably help that I was a willing party. If I teleported into the abyss, that would release more magic? I really didn’t know, but it was a better option in the void than dying. After all, dying could reset, stuck in the void could not, as proven by my father. I’ve fulfilled my first and last promise. It had been difficult, but I did it. And now that it’s done…

I can’t afford to care anymore.

0.1/0.1 HP

0/0 HP

 

Papyrus POV:

Sans was taking long, too long. I had finished my check-ups and there was no trace of dust or otherwise. I went around Grillby’s and brushed away the foliage. Sans was just standing there, seemingly doing nothing. That was when I felt a cold hand wrap around my neck from behind. I was pulled into a stranglehold. I let out a cry, surprised. It was most definitely a human hand. My brother turned around to look at us. I craned my neck upwards with much difficulty. It was none other than the human, who was grinning widely. Their eyes were a murderous red, and black sludge was oozing out of their mouth. “Sans! Leave now before it’s too late” I rasped out. Sans stood there, frozen. My attacker, Chara, spoke.

“Long time no see, comedian.”

Comedian? Ah yes, back in those timelines…

Sans was like a cornered animal, eyes darting back and forth, looking for a route out. But there was none. Chara grinned like a maniac and took out her knife, placing it to my throat. “Take one step and your darling brother dies!” I could feel the chilly blade pressed against my neck. I sweated nervously. Sans cleared his throat. “let him go.” Chara flung back their head and laughed. “Let him go? I think not.” 

“what do you want?” 

“Pleasure from your pain, of course” I was disgusted as she said this. What kind of sick creature was she?

“what if I have none?” Sans was stone cold. His face betrayed no sign of emotion at all.

“Oh,” Chara chuckled darkly. “You’ll see what I do to break you.”

“i was broken a long time ago.” 

“I’ll break you even more.” 

“you can’t hurt me. what have you done with frisk?”

“Can’t you see comedian? I’m controlling them. You’re half right. I can’t hurt you, but I can hurt your brother.” They pressed the knife deeper into my throat, drawing beads of blood. “Sans…don’t do what they say.”

“Drop your whip.” Sans hesitated, before his grip slackened and he let his weapon drop to the snowy ground. “Don’t—“ My words were cut off as Chara dug in with their knife. “Step away from it.” Sans did as they said, a placid expression written on his features. His pupils were darting back and forth, trying to figure out a solution. Chara could not be persuaded from genocide, they were downright cruel so I didn’t try.

“Good…” Chara half snarled at him before releasing me. I crumpled to the ground wheezing for air. Sans rushed to my side, now weaponless. As if an idea struck him, his eyes widened as he whistled loudly. It pierced the silence and I cringed from the loud noise. Chara, a few metres away, gave the electric whip a kick. “Calling for help?” They mocked, cocking their head condescendingly. “How foolish.” Their head was thrown back as they laughed. Sans and I, breathing hard watched in despair. I wouldn’t let them hurt Sans. After I had regained my breath, I pushed him behind me. He stumbled before coming out again. I tried to get him to move but he would’n’t budge. And then I saw the knife slash on his back. Sans was thrown into me as I caught him and fell over.


	22. Chapter 22

Papyrus POV:

Sans slumped to the ground the knife slash and blood still fresh on his back. The lights in his eyes went out. I let out a primal scream. Sans couldn’t be dead, he couldn’t. I shook my head, still in denial. Chara laughed like a maniac. “And now it’s your turn.” I was still knelt over my brother’s corpse. I couldn’t think. It felt like someone had ripped out my soul, smashed it with a train and put it back in. Silence was all that I could say. I knelt there, looking at my brother but not really seeing him.

No, no, no, no…

A string of echoes passed through my mind. Apparently Chara decided to wait till I stood. I closed my eyes. That’s it. He was dead. No tears sprang forth as I gazed solemnly at my brother’s lifeless figure. Once again, I had failed to protect him. I was a failure. I had always been a failure, no matter how hard I tried. My brother had died in order to protect me again, and I could do nothing to stop it.

It was all the fault of the human! I whirled around and glared at them. Their blood red eyes showed no hint of mercy. Rage overclouded my grief and I stood up to face my attacker. 

We stood there, staring at each other with ice-cold gazes.

“You’re going to have a really good time.”

I swung the mace. A powerful swing, almost knocking me off my feet. Chara dodged easily and proceeded to deliver a swift cut directed to my chin. I stepped back before bending and thrusting my mace into their stomach. Unfortunately, they leapt out of the way. I narrowly missed their blade aimed at my weapon hand. Losing quite a bit of grip on my mace, I held it firmer before unleashing a powerful swing. It grazed Chara’s knee as they tried to dodge. They winced in pain but stood their ground. Rage filled me as my strikes became faster, more powerful. But Chara dodged them all. They slashed viciously with their knife, never pausing for breath. I was panting already, but Chara seemed like they had not broken a sweat. I was filled with determination. I would kill this human, no, this monster in the truest sense of the word, the one that had taken my brother away from me. 

Chara’s knife, even with its short reach and low base power, was surprisingly strong. Once or twice they had almost knocked my own weapon out of my hand. But I managed to recover and retaliate. Chara gritted their teeth as they slashed at my ribcage again. I jumped out of the way before swinging my mace. It was a weak attack, one that Chara was able to dodge easily. My stamina was running low as my breath came in short gasps. But this creature had to pay. 

I reversed the direction of my mace, aiming for Chara’s face. They blocked it with their knife. Their grip held, surprisingly, and it started to push back my mace. I pressed down harder, knowing that Chara could not dodge this one. Then, they did something very unexpected. They twisted the knife. 

My weapon clattered out of my hand and onto the frozen ground. I stared at it in shock. A mere short knife, knocked my mace out of hand? Chara swiftly lunged forward with blade outstretched. I instinctively jumped back, but without my mace to balance, I stumbled and fell. The usual comfortable weight of the weapon was gone, lying a few metres away. I could never get to it in time. Well, at least I can see my brother again, I thought bitterly. Chara advanced with an evil gleam in their eyes. The knife twinkled innocently in the light, but who knew the number of lives it had taken. I widened my eyes, inching further and further away. I had failed to even avenge the death of Sans. Crying inside, I held back the tears. 

“Not so cocky now are we, Papyrus?” Chara taunted, seeming to relish every moment of torturing me.

I remained silent, letting the pent-up grief of losing Sans for the second time flow into my being.

Suddenly, Chara was knocked over. They let out a cry of pain upon hitting the hard ground, knife skittering away from them. I looked up to see who my benefactor was. Flash stood there, growling at Chara, who was looking very scared. I took the chance to scramble up and grab my mace. Flash pinned Chara down, who was looking pitifully defenceless at the mercy of a wolf. Such irony.

Chara’s POV:  
I was pinned down by a white wolf that came up from behind me. The wild animal scratched me and I felt blood seep through my clothes. Animals, were so much more dangerous than monsters. They had no sense of honour, or any instincts that monsters and humans had. They were beyond the moral and social boundaries that society placed on its people. Fear showed in my eyes. I could tell that the wolf sensed it, because it shifted and growled at me. Guess this wasn’t my lucky day.

**Author's Note:**

> My first AU/Fanfic for Undertale, to which I claim no credit for, and is the creation of Toby Fox, also represented as the annoying dog in game. Thanks for reading!


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